Chapter 28

SABINA

~“Father, help me!” I cried out, pounding on the walls of my room, praying my father would hear me.~

~“Burn, witch! Burn!” the townsfolk chanted.~

~“A witch is no daughter of mine!” my father yelled, his words cutting deep into my heart. Why was he saying that? I wasn’t a witch. I didn’t even understand what witches did. I knew nothing about magic.~

~Behind me, the fire was turning our home into a pile of ash. It was getting closer and closer. I yelped as the flames licked my feet.~

~I wanted to escape, but I was trapped. There was no one to save me.~

~“Please, father, please! Help me! I’m your daughter!” I screamed, pleading for him to hear me, to save me.~

~“Die, witch! Burn, witch!” the crowd outside chanted.~

~The fire was getting closer and their chanting was growing louder. I could feel the heat on my back. It wouldn’t be long before I was consumed by the flames.~

~These people, these people were the reason I was going to die a painful death. They weren’t helping me. They set my house on fire. My own father wanted me dead.~

~Pain exploded through my body as the fire reached my back. Tears blurred my vision as I tried to run, but there was nowhere to go.~

~I screamed as my toes began to burn. My cries grew more desperate, but no one came to help.~

~This was it. I was going to die. No one was going to save me. Everyone would be happy now. My father would be happy…~

I woke up screaming. Tears streamed down my face as I tried to ground myself in reality. I was okay. I wasn’t being burned alive. I was okay.

“Bina, are you okay?” Aboloft asked, reaching out to me, but I slapped his hands away.

“Don’t touch me! Stay away! Y-you’ll hurt me. Stay away from me!” I yelled at him. It was so hot. I needed water.

“Calm down, Bluebell.”

I screamed again when he pulled me into his arms. I tried to fight him, tried to break free, but he held me tighter, pinning my arms to my sides, leaving me helpless.

“Water. I-I need cold water. Please, Aboloft,” I begged, tears streaming down my face. It was so hot. Even though I was naked, it was still so hot.

“Okay, okay, I’ll have the maids prepare a bath for you with cold water. Calm down, my sweet. It was just a nightmare. Just a bad dream,” he whispered in my ear, his hand soothing on my bare back.

But Aboloft was wrong. This wasn’t just a nightmare, it was my reality. I had lived through this. If it hadn’t been for Beth’s help, I would’ve died in that pile of ash.

“Water, I need water,” I mumbled. I knew fighting him was pointless, so I let him hold me.

I let Aboloft comfort me. And as much as I hated to admit it, I needed him, needed his touch, his kisses. I needed him.

“I’ll get you water. I’ll get you anything you need, my beautiful goddess,” Aboloft kissed my forehead before picking up a silk sheet and draping it over my naked body.

“No, no, it’s hot. It’s too hot.” I tried to push the sheet away, but Aboloft held it in place.

“Bluebell, I need to call the servants. I can’t let them see you like this. You can take off the sheet once they leave,” he told me.

“Enter!” Aboloft’s command echoed through the harem, making me flinch. I just hoped that Aboloft wouldn’t turn out to be like the people of Wilsden.

I didn’t think I could handle any more pain, or being burned alive again.

The door opened, and five guards walked in, all in their standard uniforms.

“Tell the maids to prepare a bath of cold water for us, immediately. They have twenty minutes. And tell them we need privacy,” Aboloft ordered.

“Aye!” the five men responded in unison before bowing and leaving the harem.

“You can take off the sheet now if you want,” Aboloft said once we were alone.

“I-I’m o-okay.” I told him, gripping the silk tightly in my hands.

Aboloft cupped my cheek and tilted my face to look at him. “What was your dream about?”

Instead of answering, I sobbed as my body started to shake. It was getting harder to breathe when Aboloft gently laid me down on the bed. He kissed me softly, his lips a balm to my wounded soul.

“It’s okay. It’s not real. I’m here, my sweet. I’ll protect you. No one can hurt you now. I promise I’ll protect you. You have nothing to fear,” Aboloft promised, kissing my eyes, nose, cheeks, and lips.

His kisses were like a salve, saving me from my nightmares.

“They’re going to kill me, Aboloft. They’ll hurt me again,” I whispered.

“No, Bina. I won’t let anyone hurt you. I wasn’t there eight years ago, but I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere.

“You don’t need to be afraid because I won’t let anyone hurt you,” he vowed.

“Don’t say that, Aboloft, please. I’m not beautiful. If I was beautiful, they wouldn’t have burned me alive like that,” I said.

“You may not believe me now, but soon, I’ll make you see,” he said before getting up from the bed.

“What’s your destination?” I asked, watching him slip into his robes. I was scared he’d leave me alone.

“I’m fetching the cold water you asked for, Bluebell.” Aboloft’s smile was gentle as he lifted me into his arms.

“Keep the sheet around you. I don’t want anyone to see you.” He kissed my forehead and walked out of his harem.

Trusting Aboloft wasn’t easy, but I didn’t have a choice. I wasn’t sure if he’d keep his promises, but for now, I was grateful he’d made them.

I tried to be strong, but my nightmares always left me feeling weak and exposed.

“There’s so much fire,” I said as we passed the torches.

The flames danced beautifully, but they reminded me of my past horrors. Every time I saw fire, I felt like that helpless little girl again.

“The torches need to be lit so we can see where we’re going,” he explained, quickening his pace.

“I don’t like fire,” I mumbled.

“I know, Bina. I’ll get you some cold water soon.”

True to his word, Aboloft led us to the bath in no time. It was just him and me. As soon as he set me down, I dropped the silk sheet and rushed into the water.

The cold water was not only refreshing, but it also helped soothe my nightmares. I sighed as my body relaxed. Closing my eyes, I savored the feel of the icy water gently lapping against my skin.

My eyes snapped open when I felt strong arms around me. Aboloft stood before me, his magnificent naked body trapping me between him and the edge of the bath.

A blush crept up my face as I took in Aboloft standing so close. He was beautiful, inside and out. I couldn’t believe this gorgeous man wanted to protect me.

“Is this better? Do you feel better now?” Aboloft asked, his strong hands cupping my face.

“Ye-yes, thank you. The water is perfect,” I told him, letting my gratitude seep into my words.

“That’s all that matters to me,” he said before leaning down to kiss me.

The kiss was soft, not hard. It felt like Aboloft was taking his time, his lips moving over mine, soothing me. His hands roamed my body, touching me everywhere, stoking my desire for him.

“Aboloft—we…shouldn’t. It’s not—right,” I managed to say between kisses.

I gasped when I felt Aboloft’s thick length at my center. “This is right, Bina.” He entered me slowly. “We are right,” he declared before thrusting deep inside me.

A loud moan escaped as my core stretched to accommodate Aboloft, my inner walls gripping him tightly. I clung to his shoulders as he pulled out before sliding back in.

He was slow and careful in his movements. He didn’t thrust hard. He was gentle.

Aboloft was tender as he moved in and out of me. His lips never left mine. They moved in sync with his thrusts. Every time he thrust inside me, he would spear his tongue into my mouth.

His arms were wrapped securely around me, keeping me still as he healed my body with his touch.

“My beautiful goddess, I’ll spend my entire life worshipping you,” Aboloft vowed before biting my neck and sucking on my skin.

His words ignited the flames of pleasure in my core. This fire wasn’t one I feared, but one I craved.

It started as a warm glow, slowly growing in intensity every time Aboloft thrust inside me. I’d never felt like this before. Aboloft kept giving me more and more.

“Aboloft,” I moaned his name as I neared the edge of ecstasy. There were no words to describe the mounting intensity inside me.

“Yes, Bina. Tell me, my sweet,” Aboloft replied, his lips brushing my ear.

“I need...I need…” I couldn’t speak as sensation overwhelmed me, making me lose control.

“What do you need, Bluebell? Tell me, so I can give it to you,” he urged.

“Aboloft, I need—I need you.” I shattered as waves of bliss washed over me, making me forget my harsh reality, transporting me to a place far, far away.

Aboloft tightened his hold on me as I trembled under the aftershocks of pleasure. His lips on my skin only heightened my ecstasy, drowning me in a sea of rapture.

“I know, Bina. You’ve always needed me.” With those words, Aboloft stiffened, and with a loud groan, spilled inside of me. I held him tightly as we both reveled in our pleasure, clinging to each other for comfort.

It was some time later that I returned to reality. I didn’t realize my nails were digging into Aboloft’s skin until I saw them, which made me release him as guilt sliced through my heart.

I didn’t want to cause Aboloft any pain. And if he stayed with me, he would get hurt, in more ways than one. I had to protect him from me.

I wasn’t the right woman for him. He needed a woman who could offer him love and security. I would only bring him pain and problems he didn’t need.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured, holding my hands close to my chest. I needed to get out of here. I needed to get dressed.

“Don’t be sorry, Bluebell.” Taking my hands, Aboloft kissed them softly, causing my body to heat up all over again.

“I hurt you and cause you so many problems,” I said.

“You could never hurt me, my sweet. And you’re not a problem for me. You never will be,” Aboloft assured me.

“I did. I hurt you, so many years ago.” People said it was best to forget the past and move on, but I couldn’t.

My past was a part of me, like my shadow. I could never escape it, and even if I tried, the people around me would keep reminding me of it.

“Bluebell, it’s been ages since then. I’m here with you now, and I swear I’d die before I let you out of my sight. You can’t hurt me anymore, because I won’t let you.”

Aboloft’s lips met mine in a gentle kiss, followed by a soft smile.

His words were sincere, but my heart struggled to trust them. Yet, my mind clung to his promises like a lifeline.

I’d hurt Aboloft eight years ago. I could only hope he wouldn’t hurt me back. I could handle physical pain, but emotional torment was a different story.

But Aboloft had given me so much. He deserved something in return. I owed him that much.

Maybe I could share a piece of my past with him. Maybe I could let him carry some of my pain. I wasn’t sure if that was selfish or not.

“Being burned alive,” I blurted out.

“What?”

“My nightmares. They’re about being burned alive,” I confessed.

“Bina.” Aboloft pulled me into his arms. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I couldn’t. I’m so weak. I…I can’t seem to forget what happened. The chanting, my father yelling at me to die, to burn. He…he said I wasn’t his daughter because I’m a witch.”

Tears slipped from my eyes as pain ripped through my heart. My father’s hatred and hostility were the most painful memories of that night.

“You’re not weak, my beautiful goddess. You’re the strongest woman I know,” he reassured me, kissing the top of my head.

“Can we go back to bed now?” I asked. I needed the security of clothes on my body. I didn’t feel comfortable being naked in front of Aboloft anymore. He’d seen too much of me today.

“Of course. You must be tired. Let’s get some sleep. Come.”

Aboloft took my hand, leading me out of the pond. He wrapped me in a thick robe before putting on one himself. Then, hand in hand, we walked back to his bedroom.

Once we were inside his room, Aboloft had me sit on the bed while he went to the cupboard.

He rummaged around for a bit before returning with an unlit candle and a box of matches. I watched, puzzled, as he placed the candle and matchbox in front of me.

“What’s this, Aboloft?” I asked. I didn’t understand why he’d bring a candle when the room was already well-lit.

“It’s your happiness,” he replied.

“What do you mean?” How could a candle give me back my happiness?

“I’m giving you the gift of peaceful sleep…

“You’re going to face your fears, Bina.”